Off the Streets into Magic
by Azile Signer
Summary: What would happen if Hermione was a kid off the streets who found out about magic a year before she got her Hogwarts letter? First Fic!Happy New Year! OOC
1. Chapter 1

Being a girl is bad enough normally when society forces you to stay between the being a girl and living on the streets of London is a whole different crazy. I should know I have been since I was seven.

I know better then go around being a girl thats what I learned first don't correct peoples assumptions. Next lesson on the streets was don't ever start habits you need to change with the streets. I am eleven now I go by Hermes my long frizzy hair is braided and knotted with some rags, I cut off some junk with my pocket knife I filched from some guy my third week on the streets.

I am smarter than your average street kid, I know what power knowledge has. I want to get of the streets bad but, so far I don't know how. There was no way I am going to a childrens home. Those places are traps there is limit on how far you can go in the world when you come from a home. I am doing fine on the streets.

When I first started out after my parents death just before my seventh birthday. I joined a team of children pickpockets that called themselves No Trace we did pretty well sticking to the name. The oldest of us was 14, Matt he watched after us kids good but, three of our five nests were raided by two different older gangs on the street. The ones called themselves Right Way killed Matt and Turtle. Then our fourth nest the cops found and took four kids to a home. Only two others beside myself were left. We agreed splitting up would be the best course of action.

I am an okay picker but I survive on scavenging more often than not. Because people these days don't carry money, they have cards and those thing will get you caught faster than you can say "please". My cloths come from the lost and found at the library and I get most my food from the groceries dumpster. Not a bad picking there but I change stores two sometimes three times a week cause I don't want to attract any more attention to myself than I need to. They gangs in London are pretty well off and don't need to dig the dumpsters but, they don't appreciate homeless kids running around their turf attracting the cops attention.

One day I was walking down Charing Cross when I noticed a copper tailing me. I knew this one he grabbed me when he found me lingering in a park after dark. I gave him the slip pretty quick when he got a call on his radio and he let his grip slip.

I scanned the shops ahead of me and found a pub that looked like it would notice another person hiding in it had funny name the Leaky Caldron. I slipped inside keeping my head down as a bell above the door rang. The people in the room were as odd as the name, their clothing looked like it came from the theater. I moved to the back of the room where there was a door I hoped would lead to an alley running behind the shops. I sat down in at a table next to the door watching to see if the copper followed me in. I had been sitting there for a few minutes when the elderly barkeeper came over.

" Do you need let into the Alley?" he asked smiling at me.

I nodded at him and stood to follow him through the door. This was such a bad idea you never follow strange people through doors especially one that were nice and did not look like a threat. But there was no way I was going to leave through the entrance the cop was still out there.

We enter a small court yard looking up I could see the gray sky. I stayed by the door watching the man curiously as he pull out a light gray stick and tapped around the wall where a few bricks were missing. Suddenly the wall started to part the bricks shifting back to show a bright and bustling ally.

The man watched me laughing at my expression.

"Beautiful isn't it takes my breath away everytime" he said.

I nodded again, shocked at the sight before me.

"You better hurry along and meet your parents it is getting late" the barkeeper said as he turned back to his shop.


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N. Thanks for reading! Sorry the story is not moving very quickly. Do you think Hermes should have any skills fighting? What type?**

I watched in amazement from my place at the entrance, till a woman nearly pushed me over trying to get through.

I quickly moved out of the way and started walking down the alley trying hard not to gawk at the magic happening around me.

Sticking to the idea knowledge is power the first store I entered was called Flourish and Blotts, a book store from what I could observe through the murky windows.

The store was very dimly lit by what looked like oil lamps but, there was no obvious fuel source and the light instead of being a comforting yellow was tinted an almost unnoticeable shade of green.

The shop had a few people scanning the shelves but, it was getting late and most were heading home.

The sales lady behind the counter watched me curiously as I scanned the shelves trying to decide on one book that would explain this world I had entered.

I headed up the stairs to a balcony that hung over the sales counter where the sales lady could not see me. I pulled my backpack off my back and shove a book titled "An Introduction to the British Wizarding Society".

I don't really enjoy stealing but, really there was no way I was going to continue living in this world clueless to their customs. There was no way I was going back to normal London, even in the short time I had been here I can tell the pickings are going to be good. This Alley was so open it reminded me of a giant tourist trap.

I went back down the stairs and headed towards the door when the sales lady intercepted me.

"Can I help you?" she asked me blocking my way to the door.

"No thank you" I said "I was just looking for some titles to give my mother for my birthday list" I told her smiling sweetly as I continued to the door.

"Well you better hurry home it's nearly dark out." she told me as she held the door open for me.

"I will, good bye" I said as I walked out of the store. Behind me she locked the door and waved as I walk away.

The sales lady had been correct, it was getting late. There were few people on the street. That meant I need to get off the street, I would be out of place alone so late. This place was more careful with their children the non magical London. No one would look twice at a child wandering alone late at night there.

I scanned the alley searching for a place to hide for the night when I saw an alley break off called Nocturnal Alley. I slipped down it blending in with the crowd this alley was much more lively than Diagon.

This was obviously the darker side of the magical world I had stumbled upon. The people here were dressed in rags and definitely did not smell the best. They ignored me as I wandered down the Alley.

As I past a shady looking pub I caught the attention of a short brown haired man. He pushed himself off the wall and began to follow me through the busy alley.

By now the sun was well over the horizon and the alley was lit by a few of the magical lamps. The man was only two or three people from me. So I ducked in the shop next to me, inside was jars of what I hoped was animal parts. My attention was torn away from the interesting contents of the jars as the man stormed into the shop.

I backed away from the man quickly running into someone else. The man I ran into put a steadying hand on my shoulder and tighten his grip as I tried to shake him off.

"I thought I told you never to come to my shop again Crwban" The man behind me snapped sharply at the drunk man who was following me.

"Awe, come on Guldberg that was one time." the drunk man said." Just hand me the kid and I will leave."

"Does the child belong to you Crwban?" the man asked.

"Nah, but I'm going to give him good time is all" I scooted farther back against the man behind me.

"I don't believe the lad wants a "good time" " the man said disgust clear in his voice. "Now get out before I curse you like last time"

"Fine" the drunk man muttered as stumbled out the door.

The tall man step around me and locked the door. He turned around and asked

"Are you alright child?"

"Fine, thank you" I replied.

I studied the man that had saved me. He was taller than your average male, his yellow hair was pulled back in a ponytail and he wore white shirt, black pants covered with a heavy leather apron.

" Well let's get you home boy" The man said as he took his apron off hanging it on a hook behind the counter.

"That's alright sir I will just head home now. Thank you." I said as I edged towards the door.

"Now wait just a moment lad, Nocturnal Alley is no place for you to wander on your own. Especially at night." the man said "I am Kamo Guldberg potion master of Nocturnal Alley."

He held out his hand to me I shook it and looked in his eye's as I said

"Nice to meet you I'm Hermes Granger. That's alright I can get home myself just fine."

"Well join me for a cup of tea before you go Hermes, most of the rabble outside will be gone by then." Kamo invited me.

"Yes, I would much obliged." I answered.

The man who followed me in here was not the only one out there and I wasn't excited to run into any more. Plus, it been a long day the only I had that day was the water bottle I filled up at the fountain in park where I slept last night. A cup of tea sounded great.

The potion master lead me to the back room where one side was his work space he had many different cauldrons and the other side was his living space.

He lead to an old potbelly stove where he put on a pot of tea.

**AN: What should I do proud to be Mudblood or blood adopted Sytherin. I could see the story go either way. **

** HAPPY NEW YEARS **


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